Rajasthan Royals land in another fix after a social activist issues a stern warning to take legal action against the Royals’ management for having Vaibhav Sooryavanshi play for them in the IPL. He has accused RR management of child labour, due to Sooryavanshi’s young age.
Back in the 2025 IPL mega-auction, the Rajasthan Royals management under Rahul Dravid, one of India’s finest cricketing minds, made a bold decision to pick Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, the 14-year-old cricketer, for a record price of INR 1.10 crore.
The Royals looked determined to have the young gun while other teams still remained doubtful. Dravid’s massive bait paid off when Sooryavanshi became the youngest centurion in IPL history, scoring a hundred off just 35 balls. Since then, he has always been in the spotlight.
Key Points
- Rajasthan Royals are facing fresh controversy over Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s participation in IPL 2026.
- Social activist CM Shivakumar Nayak has alleged that allowing the 15-year-old to play amounts to “child labour.”
- The activist has reportedly threatened legal action against the Rajasthan Royals management.
- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been one of RR’s standout performers this season with over 400 runs.
Social Activist CM Shivakumar Nayak accuses the Rajasthan Royals of ‘child labour’
However, the presence of the 15-year-old cricketer Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the IPL has sparked a debate as a social activist named CM Shivakumar Nayak has threatened to lodge a complaint against the Rajasthan Royals franchise, considering his participation in the league to be ‘child labour.’
This happened when the mentioned activist, during a TV debate on a Kannada news outlet, argued that the young cricketer is being unfairly exploited in that system of professional sports. He said:
“This 15-year-old boy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi from Rajasthan Royals is being exploited. He is just a child, only 15 years old, and they have brought him into the IPL to play professional cricket. This is nothing but child labour. How can they make a minor boy play in such a big league like this? He should be focusing on his studies, going to school and completing his education instead of playing cricket at this tender age.”
He said that this is a bad precedent for the youth of the nation, and he will file a complaint. “I strongly condemn this, and I will be filing a police complaint or legal case against the Rajasthan Royals management for violating child rights and child labour laws. Don’t let this boy play IPL cricket; it’s child labour, he should study,” he claimed.
Fans go berserk after explosive claim from activist Shivakumar
Vaibhav has often been making the headlines, sometimes being called unprofessional, and sometimes claims are being made of an AI chip installed into his equipment, which gives him the upper hand over world-class talents.
Some have fumed over the activist for spreading wrong propaganda against a fine talent. It truly is, as the great Sachin Tendulkar also played for India at a tender age and came into domestic cricket at a young age.
Moreover, some have cited the designated Under-19 World Cup reference to counter Nayak’s mindless crap. While others have made a mockery of him, claiming that the Royals do not run a factory, they are a cricket franchise.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s undeniable form in IPL 2026
Amid all these, the young Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been in undeniable form in this edition of the competition. He has amassed 404 runs across ten matches for the Royals and has struck with a strike rate of over 237 in the IPL edition.
Having been retained for the season, he currently gets paid 7.5 lakhs per match under the BCCI’s updated match fee policy. They are currently in fourth place in the points table in 2026 with six wins and are aiming for a spot in the playoffs. Sooryavanshi scored his second century in the IPL this season.
ALSO READ: Mohammed Shami’s brother accused of marriage betrayal as ex-girlfriend makes explosive claims
